Ancient Greece comes to Tupelo

TUPELO – Since October, Belmont Elementary teacher Cathy Eaton has been virtually transporting students back in time to ancient Greece.
On Friday, 32 Belmont GEMS students were transported to Books-A-Million in Tupelo to share their own versions of Greek myths the second- through sixth-graders wrote and illustrated.
“It’s amazing to see what these children can do,” said Brenda Kutcher, manager of Books-A-Million.
The students wrote the myths after an extensive study of ancient Greece, Eaton said. They learned about the traditions of myths and how they were used to explain the unexplainable or communicate morals.
“It’s under the umbrella of ancient Greece, but it’s very interdisciplinary,” incorporating math, arts, language, Eaton said. “It was a huge project and they learned how to give themselves goals.”
For their books, the students used the Greek gods and goddesses, but spun completely new tales while following the form of a myth.
“I liked learning about how they talked and dressed,” said third-grader Tess Moore, who illustrated her story by drawing a picture of Hera turning into a lion to fight a nine-headed snake.
Sixth-graders Conner Caldwell, who wrote about a hero who seeks the gods’ help to save his village, and Kole Timbs, who wrote about Cereberus, the three-headed dog, put together action-filled stories that demonstrate the value of team work.
After reading their stories, the students looked forward to a trip to Vanelli’s for authentic Greek food.
Customers who bought books in support of Belmont Elementary on Friday got a 10 percent discount and earned a donation for the school library.
Contact Michaela Gibson Morris at michaela.morris@djournal.com or (662) 678-1599.